Community colleges, skills-training programs, and even for-profit institutions have made great strides in the last decade in readying thousands of people for good jobs in an increasingly uncertain economy. What are the opportunities and challenges for students at these institutions, and how will the economy benefit from their training. How can we ensure the United States does not lag behind globally as an educator?

Why should you look at your career as a start-up? Because you know how to build your professional network, you take smart risks, and you take advantage of uncertainty. Author and Linked-In founder Reid Hoffman discusses the enterprising spirit of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and draws lessons for all of us seeking a focused career in an unsteady market. Speakers: Reid Hoffman, Joichi Ito

A conversation with Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Learning with New Orleans.

Mitch Daniels in Conversation with Charlie Rose. Why the States are Laboratories for Economic Reform.

The original definition of philanthropy is “the love of humankind.” Going back to the roots of this word, how are leading women philanthropists approaching giving with a humanitarian lens? What does it mean to be a woman philanthropist today, how did they create their philanthropic agenda, and how might these women influence a younger and broader generation of philanthropists? Speakers: Jackie Bezos, Tory Burch, Merle Chambers, Ann B. Friedman, Laurie M. Tisch, Monique Villa, Anne Mosle,...

Mortimer B. Zuckerman and David Rubenstein discuss the economy.

Tyler Cowen, Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran, Andrew McAfe and Andrew Ross Sorkin are featured on this panel discussing innovation.

Nowhere have the voices of the 99 percent been heard more forcefully than in the squares of America’s cities—some of which are in the midst of painful, albeit powerful, cycles of change. A handful of cities across the country are showing glimmers of success in launching jobs programs, promoting civic leadership, and renewing their downtowns. This session will explore the lessons learned and opportunities ahead for two of America’s most innovative mayors. Speakers: Annise Parker, Mitch...

Corporations are the engines of America’s prosperity. Yet The Economist says they are an endangered species. In the last 15 years, the number of publicly listed corporations has shrunk by almost 50 percent!Worse, polls tell us corporations have lost much public favor and are sometimes even seen as destructive to the general welfare. The result is the threat of ever more regulation. What is happening? And why? Are corporations responding to the wrong incentives? If so, is it because today’s...

Since the list’s inception, Shelly Lazarus, chair of Ogilvy & Mather, has consistently appeared in Fortune magazine’s annual ranking of America’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. She shares her views on what it will take for brands, at home and abroad, to successfully bridge old and new media and stay competitive in a very demanding global market. Speakers: Shelly Lazarus, Gillian Tett

Gillian Tett interviews Lawrence H. Summers.

The book’s subtitle is the best description for this talk: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems. The author will discuss his insightful assessment of the changing global economy, complete with recommendations for how companies can thrive in a perpetually disruptive environment. Speakers: Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran

With health spending representing nearly one-fifth of US GDP, the debate on fixing the US economy is inextricably bound to the debate on fixing US health care. As health care costs grow from $2.6 trillion to an officially projected $4.6 trillion over the coming decade, what will be the impact on family incomes, business performance, and state and federal budgets? Can the debate on taxes and government spending be resolved without serious health care entitlement reform? And how to assess the...

Beth A. Brooke, Clive Crook, Mitch Daniels and William E. Mayer discuss regulation of the economy.

Our networks—personal and professional relationships, club memberships, and faith communities, among others—help us to get jobs, advance our careers, and build economic mobility. How does “who we know” help us move up the economic ladder, and what can be done—socially, economically, and politically—to strengthen social capital as a key ingredient to breaking the grip of poverty? Speakers: Anne Mosle, David Leonhardt, Mario Small, Robert D. Putnam

Dallas Federal Reserve Chair Richard Fisher discusses the delicate balance between government and the market. Speakers: Richard W. Fisher, Maria Bartiromo

Is college what it’s cracked up to be in this troubled economy? We know a high-school education is imperative for basic job skills, but does a liberal arts education match? Speakers: Andrea Mitchell, Eduardo Padron, Jamie P. Merisotis

Internet entrepreneur Arianna Huffington believes America needs a movement to kickstart job growth. She discusses her plan with Aspen Institute CEO and President Walter Isaacson. Speakers: Arianna Huffington, Walter Isaacson

What kind of world do we want to create, protect, and leave behind? We transfer wealth as we can, but more importantly, what we really want our children to understand is our values. Speakers: Chris Heilmann

Would you start a business today? In this tough economic environment, what does it take to be a successful entrepreneur? Speakers: Arianna Huffington, Michael Lopp, Daniel Epstein, Kevin Delaney

America is mired in debt—more than $30,000 for every man, woman, and child. Bitter fighting over deficits, taxes, and spending bedevils Washington, even as partisan gridlock has brought the government to the brink of default. Yet the more politicians on both sides of the aisle rant and the citizenry fumes, the more things seem to remain the same. Speakers: Simon Johnson, Chrystia Freeland

Entrepreneurship, personal responsibility, and upward mobility: These traditions are at the heart of the free- enterprise system and have long been central to America’s exceptional culture. In recent years, however, policymakers have dramatically weakened these traditions—by exploding the size of government, propping up their corporate cronies, and trying to reorient our system from rewarding merit to redistributing wealth. In The Road to Freedom, Arthur C. Brooks shows that this trend cannot...

The new professional no longer learns one task or works in one industry for life. Gone are the days of assembly-line production and when 9 to 5 meant a separation of work and home. The new professionals are dedicated to a values- based work environment that will offer a connection to what they believe in, and they will only stay engaged through a company’s ability to tap into creative, analytical, dimensional, and collaborative solutions. How can companies adjust and embrace new paradigms,...

What does the global economy portend for American companies, small and large? Are we competitive, are investors safe, and are consumers at home and abroad still enamored with American goods and services? The head of the Export Import Bank, a chief economist, and a chief investment officer debate the prospects. Speakers: Christopher M. Hyzy, Fred P. Hochberg, Marco Annunziata, Maria Bartiromo Aspen Ideas Festival 2012

Keith Banks and William E. Mayer discuss the economic markets.